Sound device



Dec. 24, 1940. L. ELLSWORTH 2,226,094

SOUND DEVICE Filed March 25, I940 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOUND DEVICEApplication March 25, 194%), Serial No. 325,885

4 Claims.

The principal object of my invention is directed to the provision of aunique and novel sound device which may be made more quickly and moreeconomically than has ever heretofore been possible in the cases ofprior art devices.

It is another object of my invention to provide a unique combination andarrangement of parts, which combination and arrangement arecharacterized by simplicity when compared with what has come before itin the way of prior art devices, and which are further characterized bytheir relatively low cost of manufacture.

It is still another object of my invention to provide a device whichwill serve profitably as an educational means for children, inasmuch asa young child in using the same unsuspectingly is taught to correlatesounds with the objects which ordinarily emit them. That is to say, heeventually learns to recognize the sound of a fog horn, for example,without necessarily actually seeing the means which produces the same,or without actually receiving any suggestion by means of a pictorialrepresentation or otherwise, as to a reason for one, which is somethingvery much to be desired. That is to say, it is educational in the sensethat it teaches a child to recognize sounds alone and Without anyassociation whatsoever to the thing or to a representation of the thingto which they refer.

t is a still further object of my invention to provide abellows-operated reed for the production of musical notes upon theapplication of pressure or the like by which the sound or sounds emittedmay be varied considerably in their range, their tone, and theirquality, according to the position of the reed and to the degree ofpressure applied to the operating means, both of which are factors whichthe operator of the de- 40 vice can manually control.

I am aware of certain prior art devices which comprise many differentparts, each of which are costly in their manufacture and delicate intheir handling. Such parts as channel members, reed 45 members, bindingmembers which secured said channel and reed members together, metal bodymembers, metal cover members, and securing means (such as glue orshellac) between said body and said cover member are herein entirelyelimi- 59 nated.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages andother objects of my invention as will become more apparent as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel featuresof construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereuntoannexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein: 5

Fig. l is a plan View of the device of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the main body member of the device of myinvention with the cover member removed;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the reed member of the device of my invention;

Fig 5 is a sectional elevational view showing the device of my inventionin combination with a page of a book;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of the top member of the deviceof my invention;

Figs. '7 and 8 are side elevational views showing the parts as shown inFig. 6 in different relative positions; and

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are plan views of modified forms of the body memberof the device of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, wherein similar referencecharacters refer to like parts throughout the several figures of thedrawing, and referring more particularly to the preferred 0 form of myinvention which has been selected for illustrative purposes, I haveshown a body member consisting of an outer wall member ID and providedwith a central chamber i2 therein. 1

The central chamber I2 may extend from opposite side faces of the bodymember, and a cover member 29 is adapted to overlie one of the oppo- Thebody member may be made of any suit able material such as paper, wood,or the like although for purposes of economy a stiff cardboard materialhas been found to be most satis--. factory. The advantage of this uniquec0nstruction is that it can be stamped out of sheets of board orcardboard and the bothersome metallic fixtures are thereby totallyeliminated.

The body member also contains a throat I4 which is in directcommunication with the central chamber I2 and which leads through intoan elongated end of the body member, at one side thereof, substantiallyas shown in Fig. 2.

A reed member 40 of the usual construction is positioned in the throatI4 and may be secured thereto by suitable securing means such as glue orthe like, so as to seal the central chamber for reasons hereinafter tobe more fully explained.

The cover member 30 is in reality a diaphragm member and it serves as abottom wall for the body member and is provided with an opening 32. Whenthe member 30 is secured toone of the opposite side faces of the outerwall member I0, the opening 32 is disposed over the central chamber,substantially as is shown in Fig. 3.

In association with the cover or diaphragm member 30 is what I call abacking member 34, which is so secured to the member 30 so as to providean air chamber or pocket 36 therebetween, substantially as is shown inFig. 3. The parts forming the pocket 36 are held in an open or spacedrelation when not in use, by some spring means 38 which holds themembers 39 and 34 in a spaced relation as to each other.

Through the adjustment of the reed member 40, in the course of anair-expelling or an airintaking stroke of the air pocket, I am able toeffect the production of different musical sounds from a single reed.With the application of pressure, manually or otherwise, upon the airpocket so as to close together its component parts and thereby to forcethe passage of air through the only possible means of escape (and thatis through the opening provided between the reed and channel member andthrough the opening in the central chamber to the outside) the pressureof the air will produce musical sounds. The return or expanding strokeof the component parts of the air pocket (which is mechanically aided bythe action of the spring member) results in an inward flow of airthrough the opening in the central chamber from the outside and throughthe opening between the reed and channel member directly to the airpocket.

Depending, of course, upon whether the air is going inwardly oroutwardly of the air chamber or pocket, determines whether the soundresults upon the retraction or the expansion of the air pocket.

I have found that the operation of my device and the sounds resultingtherefrom may be varied within a wide range of limits by the mereadjustability of parts. In the first place, I have found that thepositioning of the reed member relative to the body and central chamberis one determining factor in the type of sound emitted. That is to say,the sounds may be varied according to the degree to which the soundmeans extends into the central chamber.

By varying the length of the throat I4, the position of the reed memberrelative to the body member and the central chamber thereof is alsovaried inasmuch as the reed member may then overlie the outer wall I 0on either side of the throat I4 either more or less depending upon theparticular tone which it is desired to produce.

In the second place, I have found that the positioning of the covermember relative to the reed member is another determining factor in thetype of sound emitted. That is to say, the sounds may be variedaccording to the degree to which the cover member extends over the reedmember.

In Figs. 6, '7 and 8, I have shown a modification of the device of myinvention but which does not depart from the essential characteristicsthereof. It is to be considered as illustrative only for it is notdesired to be limited to this particular form or to any particular formsince other changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. I have shown acover member I20 which has a portion I22 foldable relative thereto atone side thereof, and for purposes of rigidity, it is preferred that ahinge means I24 be used to give the cover member added strength so thatthe foldable portion I22 may move freely relative to the cover memberI20 as shown in Figs. 6, '7 and 3.

By regulating the position of the foldable portion I22, the degree ofpressure which is exerted upon the reed 40, which lies directly underthe foldable portion, is obviously varied, which is a result very muchto be desired inasmuch as I have found that the addition of pressureupon the reed increases the pitch of the note produced thereby.

In Figs. 9, 10, and 11, I have shown further modifications of the bodymember of my invention.

In Fig. 9, the outer wall member 2H] and the central chamber 2I2 areshown to be similar to what is disclosed in Fig. 2, but the course ofthe throat 2 extending from the central chamber 2I2 which leads into anelongated end of the body member at one side thereof takes a zig-zagcourse whereby the throat is elongated.

In Fig. 10, the outer wall member 3H! is substantially increased so asto form a smaller central chamber 3I2 whereby the throat 3M is likewiseelongated although in the form shown the throat 3I4 does not have azig-zag course such as is shown in Fig. 9.

In Fig. 11, the outer wall member 4H] is of the same size as isdisclosed in Fig. 9, as is also the central chamber 4I2 of a similarsize. The throat 4, however, is substantially shortened in its length soas to effect considerably the range of the tones produced.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect tothe present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limitedthereto since changes and modifications may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention maybe embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essentialcharacteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to beconsidered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, thescope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims ratherthan by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within themeaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended tobe embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A sound device of the class described comprising in combination, abody member having a central opening therein and a throat leading fromthe opening into a side of said body member, a cover member secured toone side of said body member and over the opening therein having afoldable portion hinged thereto and adapted to overlie the throat invarious degrees, and a reed member having a part in the throat of saidbody member and secured between said body member and said cover memberand the foldable portion thereof.

2. A sound device of the class described comprising in combination, abody member having a central opening therein and an elongated throatleading along an irregular course from the opening into a. side of saidbody member, a cover member secured to one side of said body member andover the opening therein having a foldable portion hinged thereto andadapted to overlie the throat in various degrees and a reed memherhaving a part in the throat of said body member and secured between saidbody member and said cover member and the foldable portion thereof.

3. A sound device of the class described comprising in combination, abody member having a central opening therein and a throat leading fromthe opening into a side of said body member, a cover member secured toone side of said body member and over the opening therein and adapted tooverlie the throat in various degrees, and a reed member having a partin the throat of said body member and secured between said body memberand said cover member.

4. A sound device of the class described comprising in combination, abody member having a central opening therein and an elongated throatleading along an irregular course from the opening into a side of saidbody member, a cover member secured to one side of said body member andover the opening therein and adapted to overlie the throat in variousdegrees and a reed member having a part in the throat of said bodymember and secured between said body member and said cover member.

LINCOLN ELLSWORTH.

